The future of a major wind energy transmission project is again uncertain after Iowa regulators on Monday afternoon rejected the developer’s third request that it change the process for granting project approval.

As Michigan’s Upper Peninsula grapples with designing a long-term energy plan, some legislators and developers are seeking a renaissance of the region’s once-strong mining industry. Such a resurgence would provide economic benefits, and it would require more energy.

Michigan lawmakers are in the process of developing a more powerful electric connection between the Upper and Lower peninsulas, which is viewed as a long-term solution to the U.P.’s growth and energy independence.